The Vietnam War is America ’s longest war to date 1959-1975. 58,000 American soldiers and 5.1 million Vietnamese were ultimately killed. What pulls the strings of our emotions? In Vietnam War movies it is tragedy, patriotism, loss, triumph, defeat, love, and evil.
In We Were Soldiers the music sets the stage for battle. As the soldiers move in, a haunting Scottish hymn overwhelms all other sounds. It induces a trance-like state for those watching, in which you can feel the impending carnage. Hal Moore, the commander on which this film was based, explains that in previous movies, they have failed to show the families back home. When the death notices reach the unsuspecting wives, there is first denial, numbness, and then immense grief. The love between husband and wife and the bond that is broken can bring you to tears. When the battle is over Commander Moore is overcome with emotion. He says that he is sorry for not dying with his men, but he has triumphed, completing his mission. One hundred and fifty five soldiers’ lives were sacrificed.
Platoon is “a gritty and emotional look at the lives of a platoon of American soldiers as they patrol, fight and die in the jungles of Vietnam as seen through the perspective of a young recruit.” Platoon shows evil amongst the soldiers. Charlie Sheen’s character, Chris displays his simple humanity when he pulls a young Vietnamese girl out of the circle of an ensuing gang bang. The burning of the village evokes the horrific events that took place at Mai Lai. Sgt. Barnes callously shoots a defenseless villager, and then murders Elias in order to silence him. In one of the most memorable scenes in all of cinema, Elias reaches up with both arms toward the helicopter as he takes his last breath and then collapses. The full height of the drama is contained within his one action. Flying away in a helicopter, leaving the battle ground Chris says, “I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy, we fought ourselves, and the enemy was in us.”
Born on the 4th of July is a “powerful and realistic story of Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic, who joined the Marines as a gung-ho recruit and came back home paralyzed” It is patriotism which plays a role throughout the film. Patriotism was manipulated by the American government and used to fill the ranks. Young men thought they were protecting their country like their fathers had. After the soldiers were rammed through the hell of war, they were abandoned. The rehabilitation hospital Kovic is placed in is infested with rats. Not only were soldiers mistreated by the government through its lack of support, the public resented them for what they had done. “Being a veteran was not something to be proud of, as it had been historically. This was one significant product of the Vietnam era: many of the important symbols by which members of a society construct and communicate their national and personal identities were destroyed or damaged.” In time the main character is transformed. He realizes his patriotism again by standing up and demanding an end to the war. He becomes vocal and is ultimately asked to speak at the Democratic convention to address the entire nation.
The Deer Hunter is a film less about the Vietnam War and more about how the war affects a group of friends. Roger Ebert says, “it is one of the most emotionally shattering films ever made.” Three of the friends are taken captive and in a very tense scene, they are forced to play Russian Roulette. This has a profound and everlasting influence on them. They can never go back. They are not able to return to their former lives and experience life how they once enjoyed it. In the end Robert Deniro’s character returns to save his friend played by Christopher Walken to fulfill a promise. Walken is an altogether different person and when reminded of his home he seemingly inexplicably decides to shoot himself in the head.
Apocolypse Now is a film of epic proportions and because of that it is not entirely believable. I believe that it is its intention to symbolize war and the unimaginable psycho madness it can become. “The cinematographer Storaro….is an emotional, expressive artist who can tell a story with his powerful images. His rich inky blacks add a tactile immediacy to the film’s ‘descent into darkness’” Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is on a mission to find and kill Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who has setup his own psychotic camp. The peak of horror and madness is shown in a scene near the end where Kurtz drops a bloody severed head on to Willard’s lap. “The problem is that bad leaders or mistaken or misguided policy had led to an unworthy or an overly cruel war.”
Vietnam has inspired films that touch on every aspect of the human experience. War pushes people to their ultimate limits and beyond. Why do we want to see war movies? They often show revolting imagery and despicable actions. It is somewhat voyeurism, but it is also unfortunately a part of our humanity that we must face and deal with.
That war was horriable
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